Simcards

[PThai]

Hi just looking at simcards for upcoming trip.

I use to always get one at airport.

Then last few yrs just be waited till got to Ptty and got one for 200b for 30days at 7/11 so much better/cheaper.

My friend has just arrived and not available anymore the 7/11 deal.

Does anyone know if can get something similar? Pls

I tried esim last time it was fucked and went back to 7/11 option.

I'd prefer not paying 900b for a month at airport.

 

[Bonkabit]

14 minutes ago, PThai said:

I'd prefer not paying 900b for a month at airport.

Check prices on SIM for Tourists-dtac

There may be on-the-spot specials.

[Sloracer]

1 hour ago, PThai said:

tried esim last time it was fucked and

What's the problem with ESim?

IMO it's the best option. You set it up before you leave home and you're on the air as soon as you land.

[Jay108]

One thing for sure, Thailand is expensive (like five times more) compared to India.

Shopping today myself between DTAC, True and AIS. I noticed that unlike in Canada the major companies do not have budget versions (sub-companies that use the same towers). But data in Canada is outrageously expensive.

My challenge is that I am here only 30-60 days. And the plans (except DTC's 90 days 90 Gb for THB950) seem too short duration - only 30 days. Prepaid, like everywhere else in the world I have been, caters to tourists, not sojourners (2-6 months but not resident). If I am wrong I welcome your correcting me. Staff explain to me that if I take a one month plan it doesn't close after one month, you just have to top up.

Data, duration and speed - I find the plans confusing due to difficulties comparing apples with apples. And the signs are in Thai and secondarily Chinese. I gave not found a website that keeps on top of the changing packages within and between companies to learn what us the best deal of the day. Is it like Cambodia - there it depends what is your purpose and where you are in the country, i.e. there is no all-round best. One thing I do know us that law enforcement in Cambodia monitors foreigner's Internet and phone usage more than locals. Here in Thailand I do not know.

At Festival Mall, DTAC has almost no customers. Does this mean that DTAC is primarily for businessmen? Staff member I spoke to is honest but I am not sure the plan is a good deal. The 2-month plan is 'only' 4G (does one even need 5G? Again, I presume it depends). But the clincher, to make me walk away that is, is that they cannot guarantee speed. This means not just where in the country, or even Pattata, but what floor one is staying in. I enquired whether an upper floor is better or worse. So difficult to make a technically and commercially-informed decision.

But if one will probably stay two months but might stay only one, 2-months is a lot cheaper per month.

I just can't be bothered doing Chicago Tribune investigative journalism research on the subject. It is going to change next month or next week anyway.

Edited February 11 by Jay108

[freedom42]

41 minutes ago, Jay108 said:

One thing for sure, Thailand is expensive (like five times more) compared to India.

Shopping today myself between DTAC, True and AIS. I noticed that unlike in Canada the major companies do not have budget versions (sub-companies that use the same towers). But data in Canada is outrageously expensive.

My challenge is that I am here only 30-60 days. And the plans (except DTC's 90 days 90 Gb for THB950) seem too short duration - only 30 days. Prepaid, like everywhere else in the world I have been, caters to tourists, not sojourners (2-6 months but not resident). If I am wrong I welcome your correcting me. Staff explain to me that if I take a one month plan it doesn't close after one month, you just have to top up.

Data, duration and speed - I find the plans confusing due to difficulties comparing apples with apples. And the signs are in Thai and secondarily Chinese. I gave not found a website that keeps on top of the changing packages within and between companies to learn what us the best deal of the day. Is it like Cambodia - there it depends what is your purpose and where you are in the country, i.e. there is no all-round best. One thing I do know us that law enforcement in Cambodia monitors foreigner's Internet and phone usage more than locals. Here in Thailand I do not know.

At Festival Mall, DTAC has almost no customers. Does this mean that DTAC is primarily for businessmen? Staff member I spoke to is honest but I am not sure the plan is a good deal. The 2-month plan is 'only' 4G (does one even need 5G? Again, I presume it depends). But the clincher, to make me walk away that is, is that they cannot guarantee speed. This means not just where in the country, or even Pattata, but what floor one is staying in. I enquired whether an upper floor is better or worse. So difficult to make a technically and commercially-informed decision.

But if one will probably stay two months but might stay only one, 2-months is a lot cheaper per month.

I just can't be bothered doing Chicago Tribune investigative journalism research on the subject. It is going to change next month or next week anyway.

GOMO - AIS lower cost carrier https://www.gomo.th/select-package

Finnmobile - DTAC low cost carrier https://finnmobile.io/en

[Jay108]

9 minutes ago, freedom42 said:

GOMO - AIS lower cost carrier https://www.gomo.th/select-package

Finnmobile - DTAC low cost carrier https://finnmobile.io/en

Much appreciated. I welcome hearing from those using these. Gomo having a SIM valid for one year is a big plus. At AIS office now. I enquired and this partner sells only online. Trust me in recognising my limitations, this non-techie geezer needs human counter service.

Edited February 11 by Jay108

[freedom42]

5 minutes ago, Jay108 said:

Much appreciated. I welcome hearing from those using these. Gomo having a SIM valid for one year is a big plus. At AIS office now. I enquired and this partner sells only online. Trust me in recognising my limitations, this non-techie geezer needs human counter service.

I had AIS E-Sim. I went to GOMO site, and ported my number in (they had my passport on file). I am now on GOMO plan of 60 Gb of 5G (30 Gb high speed, 30 Gb at 10 Mbps), 200 mins calling, AIS SuperWifi, 100 SMS, 299 + VAT/month

[CaribbeanDelight]

On my last trip I bought a SIM at the AIS shop for 50 baht.

Then I added a plan myself. Price list below is from late October 2023.

[simon6666]

57 minutes ago, CaribbeanDelight said:

On my last trip I bought a SIM at the AIS shop for 50 baht.

Then I added a plan myself. Price list below is from late October 2023.

Found out a long time ago that this is the best way to do it.

They offer insane deals on the phone app.

I paid ~450 baht for 10mbps speed, unlimited data, for 30 days in December.

Try getting that deal from Suvarnabhumi.

I maintain the same SIM and don't even top it up when home.

Expiry on it is either 6 or 12 months no top-up. I've gone over 3 but never go 6 without a visit, so haven't tested it to know.

[Jay108]

2 hours ago, CaribbeanDelight said:

On my last trip I bought a SIM at the AIS shop for 50 baht.

Then I added a plan myself. Price list below is from late October 2023.

Thanks for this. I did not know there us a two-axis chart that allows one to customise. And they did at the store tell me about this option.

[fatboy21]

Do 7/11s still sell sim cards?

[neandertal13]

10 hours ago, fatboy21 said:

Do 7/11s still sell sim cards?

Last year in July yes. I am quite confident that yes. You can buy simcards in all 7/11. Do not worry too much about that. 

[freedom42]

On 11/03/2024 at 19:41, fatboy21 said:

Do 7/11s still sell sim cards?

Yes, Only TRUE as they are owned by CP. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CP_All

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charoen_Pokphand

[TooLate]

I've always bought sim cards at the airport, what are the 7-11 deals?

[ricktoronto]

I'm not going to shave pennies not getting a SIM outside the airport. The two boring hours on the taxi are spent communicating with home and contacts in Pattaya.

Could I save $10? Probably but it's $10. The DTAC cards haven't changed a lot over the last few years but the included data has by a lot. I don't even connect to WiFi for an entire month.

[Arnie85]

On 12/02/2024 at 06:00, Jay108 said:

Thanks for this. I did not know there us a two-axis chart that allows one to customise. And they did at the store tell me about this option.

Jesus. Just get unlimited data at a decent speed (which won’t get filtered when you reach an arbitrary limit) and don’t spend time trying to decipher that thing, it looks like a letter from the Zodiac.  It’s 1800 baht at the airport at one of the many AIS booths and you won’t have to muck around with a wifi password once. Last trip it took me less than three minutes to walk up, point at the most expensive one, hand over phone and passport and leave. 

Edited April 5 by Arnie85

[Shamrock71]

On 11/02/2024 at 11:58, freedom42 said:

GOMO - AIS lower cost carrier https://www.gomo.th/select-package

Finnmobile - DTAC low cost carrier https://finnmobile.io/en

GOMO insists you register with a National ID card (not a passport) and an address in Thailand, so you can't buy this until you arrive in Thailand.

[rog555]

50 minutes ago, Shamrock71 said:

GOMO insists you register with a National ID card (not a passport) and an address in Thailand, so you can't buy this until you arrive in Thailand.

Sorry, I don't understand.  The way you express it implies once you are in thailand you will have a national ID and address !

Do you mean go and ask to use a thai girls ID ?

[Shamrock71]

55 minutes ago, rog555 said:

Sorry, I don't understand.  The way you express it implies once you are in thailand you will have a national ID and address !

Do you mean go and ask to use a thai girls ID ?

Makes no sense to me either, but that's what it asks for on the registration (see screenshots below)

 

 

[freedom42]

If you were vaccinated they gave you a card that had an ID number on it that had you in their system. I am not sure how one would go about getting an ID number now. 

Could try by signing up with AIS, then doing the switch to GOMO (AIS is parent company), and it may accept you when you are porting in your number. 

[Shamrock71]

On 11/02/2024 at 21:30, CaribbeanDelight said:

On my last trip I bought a SIM at the AIS shop for 50 baht.

Then I added a plan myself. Price list below is from late October 2023.

 Great info, thanks for this.     I've a few questions.

1. Can I get these top up deals on an AIS e-SIM ?   (I have an eSIM installed now but it expires in 10 days time) or do I have to buy a physical SIM card ?

If I do need a new physical SIM card, can I keep my phone number (my Thai number for my eSIM) ?

And what's the deal with the speed ?  Do you need more than 1 Mbps on a mobile phone ?  (I won't be watching videos, just using it for Line, Whatsapp, etc)

And finally, this is just for data, so will I still need a separate deal for calls and texts (I won't be making many calls or sending many messages but I need it for the bank, Bolt etc)

 

[CaribbeanDelight]

12 hours ago, Shamrock71 said:

 Great info, thanks for this.     I've a few questions.

1. Can I get these top up deals on an AIS e-SIM ?   (I have an eSIM installed now but it expires in 10 days time) or do I have to buy a physical SIM card ?

If I do need a new physical SIM card, can I keep my phone number (my Thai number for my eSIM) ?

....

 

I can't say for certain. But I would think it's the same as a regular sim.

phone number transfer, no idea. Might be good to double check with AIS service at a mall.

12 hours ago, Shamrock71 said:

...

And what's the deal with the speed ?  Do you need more than 1 Mbps on a mobile phone ?  (I won't be watching videos, just using it for Line, Whatsapp, etc)

...

 

I personally don't think you need more than 6 but 1 feels like stretching it with the number of images and videos that are loaded on social media or shared.

12 hours ago, Shamrock71 said:

 ...

And finally, this is just for data, so will I still need a separate deal for calls and texts (I won't be making many calls or sending many messages but I need it for the bank, Bolt etc)

 

There are plans that include calls and text. i just don't pick those as I will only use data.

[Griff64]

I arrive at BKK airport about 8pm and even though I realise its more expensive  to get a sim card at the airport.Plan to travel into town on the airport rail link and think I read somewhere that the best deal for sims is down on the same floor as the rail, anyone purchased at a booth down there

[Bonkabit]

 

Bypass the popular stands on the ground floor to find cheaper SIM cards at the basement area.

 

 

[Oztraveller]

To save the hassle of buying a 1 month plan at the airport each time i arrive, i bought a 12 month plan from AIS at Central. 

As i do quite a few trips a year to Thailand, the extra cost was worth saving the time & hassle at the airport.

Also, avoid the dumb mistake i made a couple of years ago.

At the airport i bought a new sim card rather than just buying data. This resulted in my Line being wiped